


Battle Cries

by TheSevenUmbrellas (RosyPages)



Series: The Horror and the Wild [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: And hide him from Hades, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Character Death Fix, Cold, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Happy Ending, Hurt Leo Valdez, Hurt/Comfort, Leo Valdez Is Not Dead, Leo Valdez Lives, Leo Whump, Leo back from the dead, Leo gets sick after returning from life because he's too weak, Multi, Powers not working, Romance, Sickfic, They nurse him back to health
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25430989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosyPages/pseuds/TheSevenUmbrellas
Summary: Leo died defeating Gaea. But Hades is missing a soul, and the outline of a burning figure has been sighted around Camp Half-Blood.Aka, Leo dies but then comes back.
Relationships: Hazel Levesque/Leo Valdez/Frank Zhang
Series: The Horror and the Wild [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833931
Comments: 21
Kudos: 153





	1. We Were Gods

**Piper**

Piper wasn’t sure what had woken her up at first. She and Jason had fallen asleep on the rooftop of the Zeus cabin, and she was comfortably tucked under his arm. He snored gently next to her, his soft breath playing with her hair on every exhale. She was so glad that he was with her. That he was alive. They’d almost lost him during their fight with the giants. But even Zeus couldn’t argue against the death cure when his son’s life was on the line. They had brought him back and that was what mattered.

Of course, that meant Leo hadn’t had it when he’d…

The loss hit her in the chest as she remembered all over again… Leo. Dead. Gone.

They’d found Festus’ body in the end, over an hour’s walk from camp. The explosion had shattered him completely. There was barely enough left of the dragon to bring back to camp. After that, they’d all given up on Leo coming back alive. Even he couldn’t have survived that.

Even with all the tricks up his sleeve.

A flickering of light took Piper out of her thoughts. That must’ve been what had woken her in the first place. She peered over the side of the cabin, curious to know which camper was sneaking out and why on earth they’d thought it was a good idea to bring a flashlight with them.

She didn’t see a camper though. The grounds were quiet. There wasn’t even a harpy in sight. So, what had caused the light?

There it was again. A flickering. Like someone was lighting a bonfire very far away. But she couldn’t figure out where it was coming from…

She edged closer to the side, trying to peer out into the darkness.

There it was. A smudge of light against the night. It appeared just over the hill, where their final stand had taken place. It only flickered for a moment before disappearing again. She could see it pulsing like a heartbeat. What was it? Had the Stole brothers started another fire? Was someone mourning their own lost loved one? Who would start a fire in the middle of the night like that?

She skirted closer to the edge of the roof. But then her foot slipped, and she was suddenly wavering in midair.

“Woah! Got ya,” Jason gasped, pulling her back onto the roof with one hand. “What were you doing?”

She sat back on the tile, panting. If Jason hadn’t been awake, she would’ve been a pancake on the ground.

“I just… thought I saw something…” she said, when she’d caught her breath.

“What?”

“I don’t know… I think a kid’s camping out there?”

“After all those monsters? That’s crazy!”

They both peered into the darkness where she’d seen the light. But whatever it had been, it was gone now.

Jason shrugged. “Maybe you were dreaming?” he offered.

She frowned. “Yeah… maybe…” She wasn’t convinced though. She was sure there had been something. “Let’s go inside.”

**Nico**

Nico couldn’t see the lost soul, but he could feel it. There was a presence flickering into consciousness somewhere in the camp. A _lemur_ maybe? But they weren’t Greek, it wouldn’t make sense for some to turn up within the confines of the camp. It didn’t feel quite right, either. The soul felt too present, too solid. But despite that, it never stayed for long. Instead, it just blinked into being every now and then, when Nico was least expecting it.

He’d been trying to fall asleep the night before when _BAM_ , like someone had flicked on floodlights in his brain. His senses screamed at him that a soul was here that wasn’t supposed to be. But then, just as quickly, it was gone.

It had happened twice since then. Just a niggling in his brain, the knowledge that a lost soul was out there.

It made sense, sort of. Roman soldiers had died in battle, why couldn’t they have formed at Camp Half-Blood? Souls didn’t always follow the rules. He just hoped whichever Roman it was realized they were at the wrong camp if they insisted on staying in the mortal world. They didn’t need another war over the Romans thinking that the Greeks were stealing their dead friends.

The fourth time he noticed, it was like he’d been punched in the gut. He had been talking to Will. Or, to be more accurate, Will had been talking to him and Nico had been nodding along like an idiot, unsure of what to say.

“So, then I pulled out the bandages,” Will was saying, “and this girl goes ‘But they’ll clash with my outfit!’ I mean, can you believe that- Woah. Are you alright?”

Nico had doubled over, clutching his head. If the last few times had felt like floodlights, this felt like the entire sun had burst inside his head. He groaned, slowly sinking to the floor.

Will was speaking to him, probably about going to the infirmary. Nico couldn’t hear him though. He couldn’t focus on anything other than the warning signals in his brain. This was more than just a lost soul. This was something bad. Something Nico had never felt before.

And then it was gone. Just like that. Nico found himself in Will’s arms, gasping for breath.

“Nico? You good?” he asked.

Nico pulled himself away. “Fine. Fine. I… I don’t know what that was…”

**Jason**

It had been Percy’s idea for Jason and Nico to come with him to Mt. Olympus. He’d said having all three sons of the major gods present would help. Jason had no idea how that would work, but he went along with it. He was too tired to argue or second guess plans. Especially plans that consisted of appeasing the gods.

He’d brought Piper along though, because if anyone could talk an angry god out of smiting them, it would be Piper.

They rode the elevator in silence. Leo’s death still weighed on them heavily. It was almost impossible to talk about the quest anymore without mentioning him. Even Jason hadn’t realized how important he’d been… as bad as that sounded.

Every funny story featured Leo front and center. Every close call was solved by Leo thinking up something particularly clever.

They hadn’t even talked to Hazel or Frank since they’d gone back to Camp Jupiter. Jason didn’t blame them. They’d taken Leo’s death the hardest out of all of them. They’d gone along with his plan, after all. And now Leo was dead.

The gods were as magnificent as ever.

Hera was missing (thank the gods) as were most of the others.

Athena sat tall, her piercing gray eyes watching them enter like a hawk. Or… did an owl make more sense? He wasn’t really sure… Other than The Big Three, she was the only other god there. Even Aphrodite wasn’t present to greet her daughter. Jason felt Piper deflate beside him, and he squeezed her hand.

He couldn’t blame her for being disappointed.

Poseidon slouched in his chair, looking more like a fisherman half asleep in his boat than a god on his throne. Jason caught the wink he threw at Percy though, and a twinge of jealousy ran through him.

Hades sat on the other side of Zeus. If Jason hadn’t known any better, he might’ve thought the god of the underworld looked… _uncomfortable?_ He fidgeted in his seat, hands gripping the arms of the throne just a little too tightly. Despite that, he still struck a fearsome image. Darkness seemed to radiate out of him, shadows lingering where they shouldn’t. And he’d thought Nico was bad…

Jason’s father did not acknowledge him. He didn’t even seem to notice they had arrived. Instead he was stroking a gray eagle perched on the back of his throne.

Their party stood in the center of the room, waiting to be noticed. Zeus didn’t look at them for so long, Jason was just wondering if they should say something when the eagle _cawed_.

Zeus turned his head. “Well?” he asked, sounding tired and annoyed.

Jason’s voice died in his throat. Luckily, it was Percy who took a step forward. “We’re here about Calypso,” he said as easily as if were talking to a teacher about a mismarked test.

“Who?”

“Calypso. Daughter of Atlas. You promised you’d let her go after the Battle of New York. You didn’t.” Percy’s hands were clenched into fists at his side, but his voice was still calm.

“And why,” Zeus answered, the words rolling slowly from his tongue like they were the most inconsequential things he’d ever spoken, “would we let prisoners go?”

This time it was Piper who jumped in as Percy’s face went red.

“It’s just… she’s not a prisoner. She’s done nothing wrong. My lord.” She added the last bit as the god glared at her.

“She sided with the Titans, did she not?”

“That was thousands of years ago,” Piper squeaked. It was hard to use charm speak when facing the Lord of the Skies.

Zeus’ eyes darkened. Jason could tell they weren’t being very persuasive. What did Zeus care for a few thousand years? That might’ve well have been last year for him. Calypso was an enemy and he would always see her as such. That was something Jason understood, as much as he hated himself for it.

He put a hand on Piper’s shoulder and took a step forward. “Our friend… Leo. He was lost in the battle at Camp Half-Blood.”

Zeus hummed. It might’ve just been Jason’s imagination, but his eyes seemed to soften. “The Hephaestus boy? We are aware of his sacrifice.”

A flash of resentment rushed through Jason. Leo had given his life for the gods, and Zeus didn’t even know his name. He wondered if that was why Hephaestus wasn’t present in the throne room himself. Did Hephaestus even care? Would Zeus care, if Jason had died instead? If Piper hadn’t given him the death cure…

He supposed Zeus ignoring them having the cure altogether was as good as they were going to get.

He forced himself to continue. “Calypso was Leo’s friend.” Which had been strange to Jason. Leo had fallen in love with every girl he’d ever met, and yet he’d sworn to the gods that he and Calypso were just friends. He’d still been adamant about getting her off the island though, and Jason couldn’t blame him. To be trapped somewhere for 3,000 years… Well, if Leo couldn’t do it, then they would. It had been Percy’s idea to visit Mt. Olympus and ask themselves. How could the gods say no to the people who’d saved the world?

Very easily, apparently.

Zeus waved his hand, as if that were an unnecessary detail. “What does that matter?”

Jason clenched his jaw. “Father, you _owe_ him. He died for the gods.”

“And I’m sure he’s being honored in Elysium as we speak. Is this not correct, Brother?”

Zeus turned to Hades, who was quiet for a moment.

Jason hadn’t known what shadows felt like before he’d heard Hades speak. But his voice somehow felt like a wave of shadows. Like cold silk trailed over skin, light pulled from the air… Even the best metaphor couldn’t touch on what Hades’ voice was like.

“Actually, _Brother_ , I believe the boy swore on the River Styx, and unfortunately has appeared not to have stuck to his bargain. Upon death, rules state he must face the consequences. If the girl is not freed…” He let the rest of the sentence go unsaid.

Jason felt sick. Leo? Punished? For sacrificing himself?

Zeus slumped in his chair. Jason had a feeling if it wasn’t so “un-godly” he’d roll his eyes too. “Very well. We will release Calypso from her island and Hades will allowed… what was it? Leo? Leo will gain admission into Elysium as a reward for Gaea’s defeat. Is that all?”

The four demi-gods looked at each other, surprised.

“Yes, my lord, that… that’ll be all. Thank you, very much,” Piper said, finally.

Zeus waved his hand and Jason understood they’d been dismissed.

It wasn’t until they were outside that Jason realized Nico was no longer with them.

“Hades needed to talk to him,” Percy explained when Jason asked. He could hear the slight bitterness in his voice. If Jason had thought Percy was lucky to earn a wink from his dad, Nico had hit the jackpot. He got to have full conversations with his father.

Then Jason thought about how scary and dark the Lord of the Underworld was, and quickly changed his mind. If Hades were his father, he’d pee his pants at every family meal.

They hung around the outside of the Empire State Building for a bit, kicking at rocks and earning glares from tourists. If only the mortals knew who they really were. Jason wanted to yell at them, “You’re welcome for saving the entire world, by the way!”

He didn’t. But he wished he could.

Nico appeared less than ten minutes later. His face was even paler than usual, and he looked worried.

“We need to talk. Somewhere private.”

**Hazel**

Hazel and Frank were in mourning, and no one else knew. The rest of Camp Jupiter thought they’d lost just a friend. Worse, some had called Leo ‘ _their mechanic_.’ Like he was some sort of servant following them along instead of one of the most important members of their quest.

They had lost… a boyfriend sounded weak. She didn’t think they’d ever called Leo their boyfriend. He was so much more than that. He was their missing puzzle piece. He was their laughter, their fire, their light…

She’d heard a story once, about mortal souls cut in two and finding their other halves again… She was sure their soul had been cut into three. Hazel. Frank. Leo. Soulmates.

Things had been bad when Leo was blasted by Khione. But at least there had been hope. No one thought he’d been dead. Even so, even back then, when they were so sure of his return, Hazel and Frank had grieved together. When everyone else was asleep they’d cried and prayed to any god who would listen. They had felt that a piece was missing from their soul.

But then he’d returned to them. He’d changed. He was a little darker, a little more serious. He told them about Calypso. He’s sword there were no romantic feelings between them, and it’d taken Hazel a moment to realize Leo was worried they’d be _jealous_. She hadn’t even considered it. They had just been so happy that he was back. They were proud. Leo had made a promise to free Calypso on the River Styx. He said they were all going to meet her. He was so excited…

Then he’d told them his plan. His plan to get himself killed. And they’d gone along with it because they were Romans and they knew what sacrifice meant. She’d _thought_ she’d known what it had meant. Until she’d felt Leo die.

She’d _felt Leo die_. The feeling replayed over and over in her brain, day and night. She couldn’t escape it even in her dreams. She was never as connected to death as her brother was. She hadn’t inherited that side of their father. But she’d felt Leo die, like a flame dying in her palm.

Now she knew what sacrifice meant.

They’d left Camp Half-Blood almost immediately. There were too many memories of Leo there. They’d never imagined meeting his siblings without him, seeing Bunker 9 without him… Camp Half-Blood was never supposed to exist without Leo.

Even at Camp Jupiter there were always reminders. The Romans hadn’t particularly seen the issue with Leo’s death. After all, he was the half-blood who’d destroyed their town. Octavian’s words still poisoned them even long after he was gone.

Frank and Hazel had taken to hiding out in Vulcan’s temple. Vulcan didn’t have many children on the Roman side, so they were usually left alone to mourn. It was there that Hazel let her tears run free. Frank cried too, more than Hazel had thought he could. She’d seen him breathless with grief, face splotchy, eyes red. There was nothing she could say to make it better.

Leo was dead. They’d let him die.

Hazel had been busy _not_ sleeping when the Iris message came through. She didn’t think either her or Frank had slept a full night since Leo had left them. She kept waking up to imaginary explosions and reaching for her boys only to find one missing. Leo had always slept in the middle so that the other two could get some air when he overheated. Which was often. He never caught fire, but more often than not Hazel would wake up sweaty next to a boiling Leo.

She missed that. Even with Frank next to her, the bed was too cold. She wished they’d never complained.

The rainbow dropped onto the bed and a blurry face appeared between the colors. It was the last face she’d ever imagined sending her an Iris message in the middle of the night. Her brother, Nico di Angelo.

She jumped up, shaking Frank awake. He grunted, stirring slowly until he noticed the face hovering on the bed.

“What? Nico? Is everything okay?” he asked, half dazed with sleep.

“It’s not safe to talk,” came Nico’s voice, deadly serious as ever. There was something else though. It was like his eyes were silently pleading with them. “Can you come to Camp Half-Blood?”

Hazel’s stomach flipped. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah… yeah _I’m_ fine. Just… Hazel, we can’t talk like this. Please, come to Camp Half-Blood, okay? We need to talk face to face.”

He sounded like he was begging her. He’d never begged in his life. Trapped in a jar, stuck in Tartarus, facing against giants and monsters… he had never begged. He had never asked her for anything before.

“We’ll be there in an hour.”

**Frank**

Grief did strange things to you. A few weeks ago, if his girlfriend had said she was going to try shadow-traveling for the first time, he would’ve at least argued. If she’d said she was going to try shadow-traveling for the first time _with him as a passenger_ then the answer would have been a definite and absolute _no way_. Not even if the entire world was in peril. The horse was bad enough.

But Nico had warned them that Arion would attract too much attention, and so the next _logical_ choice was shadow-traveling. And by logical, of course, it was anything but.

Frank didn’t care. He knew what they were both hoping for. It was foolish to even think about it, but neither could help it. Their hearts ached for him. They needed Leo. And maybe Nico di Angelo, the Ghost King, would have some news.

There was another worry, of course; that Gaea was returning or maybe something worse. But that was trivial compared to the hope they both shared but didn’t speak of.

So, they packed up a few possessions, Frank left a note for Reyna, apologizing, and then they left.

Frank and Hazel jumped into the darkness. Frank felt like his entire being had suddenly been submerged in ice water. It was cold and dark and awful.

And then, they rammed into a tree.

Frank groaned, falling to the floor. He was nursing a very bruised face. Well, at least they were both in one piece. Wait…

He turned suddenly, pawing at the ground for Hazel. “Are you-”

He never finished his sentence.

Hazel was passed out at the base of the tree. Her face looked a few shades too pale, but other than that she was unharmed.

It was what stood over her that made Frank pause.

The outline of a burning man.

Frank could see the hazy shapes of legs, a torso, a face. The flames knotted together to form the pattern of bone and muscle. The entity was literally being built by fire before their very eyes.

Then something shifted in the face, like a veil being lifted. It was a face he knew. A face he loved.

Leo was staring at him from within the flames.

Frank took a step forward, to do what he didn’t know. Reach for the flames? Physically pulls Leo back into the land of the living with his bare hands? Beg him to return to them?

But the moment Frank moved, Leo disappeared.

He wasn’t even sure if he had recognized them.

Frank stood staring at where Leo had been for a long time. He didn’t move until Hazel stirred, groggy and confused. When she asked him what was wrong, he didn’t know what to say.

They met the others in the Big House. After Frank described what he had seen, the others didn’t seem surprised.

“That’s exactly what we wanted to talk to you about,” Nico said, slowly.

Frank was half tempted to strangle him. “What the hell is going on? Is Leo… is he…” He didn’t know how to finish the sentence.

Nico shook his head. “We don’t know… Me, Jason, Percy, and Piper went to Mt. Olympus this morning. My dad told me Leo’s soul isn’t in the underworld. He’d just assumed we were trying to hide him from the gods to escape the prophecy.”

Frank and Hazel stared at the others. It was clear they’d been talking about this for a long time. They all looked serious and solemn. Piper’s eyes were red from crying. Annabeth was knotting her hair between her fingers. Percy looked green, and Jason was pale.

“The prophecy?” Hazel repeated. She sounded just as lost as Frank felt. “But Gaea’s defeated. It’s done.”

“No,” Nico said. “Piper figured it out. _To storm or fire, the earth must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath._ Jason or Leo had to die for Gaea to fall. And since Jason was saved with the death cure… that left Leo.”

When Piper talked, her voice was croaky from crying. “We figured it out together in the dining hall… Me, Jason, and Leo. I didn’t realize… I didn’t think that he…” But she couldn’t finish her thought. Tears streamed down her face. Jason put a comforting arm around her, and Frank felt the resentment in his throat. He wished he could put a comforting arm around Leo. But he couldn’t.

He felt like the air had been taken from his lungs. All this time, Leo’s fate had been staring at them right in the face. He hadn’t even told them. How long had Leo carried that secret on his shoulders?

Hazel slammed her fists against the table, making it groan under her strength. “So then what is going on? If he’s not in the underworld, where is he?” Her eyes flashed gold. Frank was thankful she was on his side.

“Hazel…” Nico spoke too slowly. Like he was physically pulling each word out of the grave himself. “I think Leo’s soul is rebuilding itself. I have no idea how.”

**Hazel**

Frank and Hazel went out to look for Leo immediately. The others told them they’d already tried, but how could she sit there doing nothing? A voice in the back of her mind told her she was being foolish. If Nico couldn’t sense him, then how could she?

But Leo had shown himself to them. Piper had said she’d thought she’d seen him once, the very first night. Hazel still hated her just a little for not saying anything back then. She knew seeing a light in the darkness meant very little… but if they had known. If they had just…

Nico, on the other hand… she was livid with Nico. He’d been sensing a lost soul all this time and had said nothing? He’d even admitted that Leo’s death had felt weird to him. Those two things put together should’ve meant something.

She tried not to be bitter about it, but some part of her thought _if they cared as much about him as we did, they would’ve figured it out sooner_. How long had Leo been alone, fighting for life? How long had he thought they’d abandoned him?

They’d all agreed not to say anything to anyone else, not even Reyna. Pluto had been kind to allow them time, but a soul was a soul. There was no outrunning a prophecy. Nico had convinced Pluto that they had no idea about Leo, which might buy them some more time while Pluto searched elsewhere.

But if any of the other gods knew they’d tricked fate somehow…

Had they tricked fate? If Leo was still in camp somewhere, why did he not appear like the _lemurs_ in Camp Jupiter?

Beside her, Frank was staring hard into the night. A ‘v’ had formed in between his brow and his eyes seemed to almost glow red.

“Frank?”

He looked up. What had seemed like a glow were actually unshed tears. Her heart throbbed.

“Hazel… We just left him.”

Hazel swallowed the lump in her throat. “We didn’t know. We’ll find him. We’ll bring him back.”

“If he’s been suffering all the time…”

“We don’t know that,” she shut him down quickly. They couldn’t afford that train of thought. They just had to find him.

The seven (six, without Leo) plus Nico met every night in the forest, where no one else could hear them. Will, a child of Apollo who Hazel remembered from the war was also there, for some reason. Nico said they could trust him. She trusted her brother, but the idea of more people knowing their secret made her uneasy.

She was plagued with the knowledge that Pluto could show up and pluck Leo from their lives at any second. Every waking moment was filled with one goal: find Leo.

They hadn’t had much luck. Nico could feel his presence, but he wasn’t able to pinpoint where he might be. That night, Percy was in the middle of trying to convince them he’d seen him. Hazel was pretty sure what he’d seen was a flashlight, but she wasn’t about to speak up. Everyone was trying to be supportive, optimistic.

She could feel the guilt thick in the air. Leo had sacrificed himself for them. Of course, Hazel and Frank were at fault as well. They’d let it happen. They’d known his plan. Even when Leo had described it, Hazel hadn’t been able to imagine Leo actually dying. They’d had the death cure. And besides, Leo was _Leo._ Dying by fire? Unimaginable.

Then Jason had died. Leo had offered up the death cure just like that. No one had even questioned why he had it. Even then, Hazel hadn’t considered Leo could _die_. He’d survive Gaea just like they survived everything else.

They hadn’t factored in Octavian’s missile. Hazel was convinced that had been what’d killed Leo. She knew it had to be. She hoped he was suffering in the underworld. Somehow, she was sure Pluto would make sure of that for her.

“Aren’t there any favors we could call in?” Percy was saying. “Someone good with… you know…” He waved his fingers in front of his face.

Hazel blinked. “Magic?” she guessed, slowly.

The son of Neptune nodded, as if it were obvious. “That kind of stuff. The dead magic stuff. Surely someone can track down a soul?”

Hazel and Nico automatically traded glances. “No,” she said, sourly. “Nico and I should be enough… I don’t understand why we can’t…”

She did understand though. She just didn’t want to admit it. Leo wasn’t all soul. He was something else. A little alive, a little soul, a little fire… There wasn’t enough ‘dead’ in him for Nico to track properly. She knew that should have made her hopeful, but it didn’t. What if Leo was stuck like that forever? Not dead but not alive.

She shivered.

Jason stood up from where he’d been leaning against a tree. “The less people who know about this, the better. We shouldn’t be calling in any favors, even if we could. We’re on our own.”

Frank muttered under his breath next to her, “What else is new?” It sounded like something Leo would say.

The conversation petered out after that. No one else knew what to say or suggest. Soon enough it was just Hazel and Frank left. They would spend the night searching the grounds for Leo again, as they had every night since their arrival. Hazel felt exhausted just thinking about the long hours ahead of them. Her feet and calves ached already. But they couldn’t give up.

Leo was out there.

“We’re going to find you, Leo.”

Then it happened. Almost as soon as she’d said it.

A bright light, like a meteor had hit. A _BOOM!_ loud enough to knock them off their feet. Hazel felt a wave of heat and then she was on her back, staring at the stars.

_Holy Hera!_

Clambering to her knees, she found herself at the edge of a wide crater. Trees had been blown back and licks of flame were still blazing. In the center sat Leo, fully formed and whole again.


	2. We Were Kids

We Were Kids

**Frank**

Leo sat on his knees in the center of the crater. Smoke and flames billowed off him. The clothes he had died in were torn to pieces and burnt beyond recognition. He didn’t appear to notice Hazel or Frank. He didn’t appear to notice anything.

Frank was too stunned to move. He watched Hazel take a step closer before she flinched away. “It’s hot,” she said.

He stretched out his arm towards Leo, and found a shield of heat radiating from the crater. Even feet away, he had to snatch his hand back, feeling as if he’d just touched an oven.

“Leo?” he called. The boy did not even blink. Did he know where he was? What was happening? Despite the flames and smoke, he looked unharmed. Frank was sure this was the first time he’d ever seen Leo without machine oil on his face. Even after a shower, there always seemed to be a scuff of it on his nose or behind his ear. His impish face seemed unnaturally naked without it.

Frank had an idea. He let his form melt away and became a small, red dragon. He’d only managed it once before, and the fire pouring from his mouth had scared him enough to not try again. But this was an emergency, and for Leo he would face a thousand fires.

He stepped into the suffocating heat carefully. There was the ghost of warmth against his scales, but unlike in his human form it did not burn him. Frank crawled closer, moving slowly in case Leo noticed him and freaked out. He didn’t notice him. He didn’t even turn his head.

Looking closer, he seemed dazed. His eyes were wide and empty. _Please let him be okay_ , Frank begged to anyone who would listen. Any god, any fate, anyone. _Please._

He was inches away, and Leo had not moved. Frank couldn’t change back into a human. The heat was too intense. Even through his scales, he could feel it beating against his skin. Leo was so hot. Too hot.

Gently, Frank lay his dragon face against Leo’s forehead. His skin was scalding even to his dragon form. Their eyes met. Leo didn’t move for a while. Everything was still. Then, his eyes came slowly into focus. His fingers twitched. His breath caught. Frank silently begged for him not to freak out, to recognize his eyes.

Whoever was listening to his prayers, it seemed to work. Leo’s temperature cooled. A breeze swept through the wave of heat.

The scales melted away and Frank was left in his human form, forehead still pressed against Leo’s. His hands came up, threading through Leo’s hair, pressing against his cheek. He was here. He was alive.

Without the heat, Leo shivered in the night air. He still hadn’t spoken. He’d barely moved. But his eyes were focused on Frank, so that as a good sign. He shifted out of his jacket, and draped it over Leo’s shoulders.

“You with me?” Frank asked, breathlessly.

Leo’s words were so gentle, so weak, even Frank could barely hear them. “Hazel? Where’s Hazel?”

Frank turned. The explosion had brought their friends back. Piper and Jason hovered around the edge of the crater. Nico was there too, with a look of total shock that seemed alien on his face. Will, the son of Apollo, stood beside him, looking unsure what to do with the med kit in his hands. Further into the darkness, Frank could see two figures blocking out a small crowd. Percy and Annabeth probably. He just hoped they’d be able to control the other campers. But that was a matter for later.

Hazel was already half in the crater, but lingered a few feet away, looking unsure of herself. When Frank gestured for her to join them, she sprinted for them, skidding onto her knees beside Leo. Her arms wrapped around him, holding him tight.

“Thank the gods, Leo.”

Leo brought his hand up to grasp hers. Then, his eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out.

**Hazel**

Frank carried Leo to the Big House. Hazel followed at his side. Her eyes didn’t leave Leo’s face. She couldn’t believe it. He was alive. He was there. He was okay.

The others trailed behind them. Hazel had used mist to disperse the other campers, but she could do nothing about their friends. She felt guilty thinking about it, but she didn’t want them around. She just wanted it to be her and Leo and Frank. How it was meant to be.

They had not told anyone about their relationship. There had been so much going on, and neither of the boys had wanted to share. Surprisingly, she was the most relaxed about it. Maybe because nothing surprised her about modern day anymore? She liked to think it was because the three of them felt so natural together. How could she second guess that? What did she care what their friends thought? And she was sure they wouldn’t think anything of it. They’d been so welcoming about everything else, what did an extra person in a relationship matter? Still, both the boys had asked to keep their relationship a secret. She hadn’t minded. Privacy and secrets were so rare on the _Argo II,_ it’d been nice to have something of their own. Something the others weren’t privy to.

Frank didn’t seem bothered if he thought their secret was out though. All his attention was on Leo.

“Frank,” Hazel said, gently.

He looked at her. “He’ll be okay, Hazel.” His eyes glistened. She nodded. _He’ll be okay_.

Leo was still passed out when they put him to bed. Will checked him over, but whatever he found seemed to confuse him. At least, nothing seemed outwardly wrong or broken. Leo wasn’t injured. The look on Will’s face made Hazel uneasy though.

After that, the others left. She wasn’t sure whose idea it was to leave them alone, but she was grateful. Frank sat with Leo’s head on his lap. Hazel fed him ambrosia the best she could. He didn’t stir.

It was Frank who spoke first. “We need to tell them about us.” His voice was surprisingly calm, and Hazel took strength from that. “They obviously know that something’s up.”

“You’re okay with that?”

“I’d feel better if it was all of us, together.” He smiled. “Leo would’ve made a joke out of it… He would’ve made matching t-shirts or something.”

Hazel stared fondly at the boy sleeping on their laps. His face seemed softer in sleep. He looked younger than she remembered. But maybe that was just because the Leo in her memories was always caught up in battles and schemes. They’d never known each other without the presence of Gaea on their minds.

When she took his hand, he felt cool under her touch. They’d almost lost him. The thought struck her suddenly. Leo had been dead. Now, they had him back. Tears pricked at her eyes. She tried to speak but could only manage a sob.

Frank seemed to understand. He gathered her in a hug, his own eyes wet with tears. “He’s safe. We have him. He’s safe.”

“We… Frank we just let him die,” She bawled into his shirt. They’d gone along with his stupid plan! How could they have done that? Leo had always planned to die from the moment he’d heard the prophecy. They knew that now.

Frank shook his head. “He would’ve done it with or without us knowing. You can’t escape a prophecy. We have him now, okay? He’s safe. We won’t let them take him again.”

The word _them_ was spat out with venom. She knew who the “them” were. The gods, the fates, anyone. They were going to protect him. No one was taking Leo from them again.

Then she felt movement. His fingers were twitching in his sleep. He tapped against her skin, softly. It was a pattern he’d shared with them before. Something he’d learned from his mother, and then they’d learned from him. _I love you_.

Even in his sleep, he knew they were with him.

She traced the shape of his cheek. She had to keep touching, had to make sure he was there with them. He felt cool to the touch. No, more than that…

She lay her hand against his cheek. He wasn’t just cool. He was _cold_. Ice cold.

**Frank**

Frank felt physically sick, leaving Leo alone. Hazel had offered to talk to the others, but Frank knew he had to take responsibility. Well… not _responsibility_ … that made it sound like he’d done something wrong. Their relationship wasn’t wrong, but it _had_ been his idea to keep it private.

Hazel had been keen to tell them from day one, but he and Leo had been hesitant for different reasons. Frank hadn’t wanted it to be the newest ship gossip. He and Hazel were different, they’d met the rest of the ship as a couple. But even before that, Hazel and Frank’s relationship had been camp gossip for months before they’d gotten together. It’d been one of the reasons Hazel hadn’t wanted to date him at first (which hurt a little.) He had been worried that something similar would happen with Leo. That he wouldn’t want to date them if the others teased or gossiped about them.

In the face of all they’d been through, he felt foolish now. Of course, Leo would never leave them for something as silly as gossip. Hell, Leo loved teasing. He probably would’ve enjoyed it. Frank had let his fear get in the way of their relationship. He’d probably made Hazel and Leo think he wasn’t proud to be with them…

Oh, also he hadn’t told anyone he was bisexual ever in his life. That was a thing too.

Frank didn’t know why Leo hadn’t wanted to share. He’d just shrugged them off. He wished he’d asked more. He wished he’d been a better boyfriend. He wished he’d at least told Piper maybe. Or Annabeth. Someone who would’ve kept it on the downlow.

This time around he was going to be better.

Frank found the rest of the seven (plus Nico and Will) waiting outside the Big House. They stood as soon as they saw him, like soldiers waiting for grave news.

“He’s okay, for now. He feels a little cold though. That might mean something…He’s… umm still sleeping.” Frank felt uneasy with all the eyes on him. He wanted to break down crying. He wanted to get angry and scream. But he wasn’t allowed to do any of that because he was a _praetor_ and a hero and whatever the hell other titles the gods had decides to thrust upon him.

“Don’t tell anyone,” he went on. “Not even Reyna. It doesn’t leave this circle.” They couldn’t risk the gods finding out.

“Can we see him?” Jason asked.

Frank nodded. “Yeah… just… one more thing. Me, Hazel, and Leo… we’ve all been dating. I mean, dating each other. The three of us… I guess since around the time Annabeth and Percy fell into Tartarus. I’m bisexual and I’m dating both of them.”

There was a moment of silence. Frank’s stomach felt like lead.

Then Piper said, “Duh.”

“What?” Frank asked, dumbly.

“Obviously,” Annabeth said. “We all knew that.”

“You did?” He couldn’t keep the shock out of his voice. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why didn’t you?” she asked. Frank didn’t know what to say to that.

“Wait,” Jason said, “ _I_ didn’t know!”

Percy laughed. “Seriously? Dude even I knew. You’re dating the daughter of Aphrodite!”

At the sound of laughter, Frank let himself relax. They knew. They’d always known. And they were okay with it. He hadn’t realized the weight he’d felt until it lifted. Nico and Will were both smiling at him broadly (which looked really _weird_ on Nico’s face.) Jason was blushing so hard, his face was tomato red.

Percy came up to Frank and clapped him on the back. “I’m proud of you, man,” he said, warmly. “Hazel and Leo… they’re good for you, I think.”

It was an oddly insightful thing for the son of Poseidon to say.

“I didn’t know we were that obvious,” Frank choked out.

“If it helps, I didn’t realize until you came back from Venus. Remember that? After your growth spurt?”

Frank nodded. He remembered.

“Remember Leo’s reaction?” Percy went on. “He was so worried about you. I swear he was thinking of fighting Ares himself for changing the way you looked. He was so worried about, and I quote, _your cute face_.”

Frank blushed. “Okay… yeah, that was kind of obvious, wasn’t it?”

Leo _had_ been mad at Ares. Hazel thought the change made Frank look handsome, but Leo had been livid about what Ares had done without permission. It’d made Frank feel better, seeing Leo so angry on his behalf. He’d gotten over it quickly when Frank promised he didn’t mind the change. In fact, he’d kind of liked being taller. The most annoying part was all his clothes were too small.

Percy smiled at him. “Don’t worry. You still got to surprise Jason.”

**Jason**

Jason still couldn’t believe that Leo not only had a girlfriend, but also a boyfriend this entire time, and he’d said nothing. They were supposed to be best friends! And, to make matters worse, everyone else had already put it together. Of course, in hindsight it was obvious. The laughing, the joking, the holding hands at the dinner table (very obvious) but Jason had just assumed if Leo was dating anyone, he would’ve told him.

Was he a bad best friend?

He felt like it.

He and Piper were sitting with Leo after forcing Hazel and Frank to take a break. Both of them had been exhausted from staying up with their boyfriend all night. Leo still hadn’t woken up.

His temperature had dropped too. They’d dressed him in a sweatshirt and thick sweatpants, but he still shivered under his blankets. His lips were almost blue.

“I can’t believe he’s alive,” Piper whispered for the fifth time.

Jason couldn’t believe it either. How was this possible?

“Piper,” he said, “were we bad friends?” When Piper didn’t answer, Jason winced. “He didn’t tell us about Hazel and Frank. He didn’t tell us about the plan for Gaea. I mean...” He trailed off. He knew what he meant and so did she. They should’ve been better friends. When had Leo decided he couldn’t trust them?

Piper brushed a tear from her cheek. “We should’ve reached out to him more,” she said, softly. Her voice sounded tight. She was close to bursting into tears. “He was always building the ship, and then he was always in the engine room. I just always thought we’d have more time, you know? I thought ‘We’ll talk after the ship is built, and then we can talk after this quest and the next quest and the next quest’… and then I guess we ran out of time…”

And then he’d been dead. Jason knew what she meant. There had always been an excuse, and that went for everyone. There had always been a quest to complete. He just hadn’t thought of what would happen afterwards. Even now, he barely knew Annabeth or Percy. Hazel and Frank had left for Camp Jupiter, and he’d barely registered their absence. But Leo? Jason always thought he’d have Leo. They were best friends.

He brushed his thumb against Leo’s wrist. “I wish you’d felt comfortable telling me,” he whispered. “About everything.” Leo’s face remained smooth in sleep.

Piper brushed her hand through his curls. He’d need a haircut soon. His hair had grown shaggier from his time on the _Argo II_. It was strange that, for Leo, barley any time had passed between then and Gaea’s defeat. He still looked the same as just before he died.

“Leo,” she said, “please, wake up.”

Jason didn’t realize she’d used charm speak until Leo’s eyes fluttered open. He shot up, gasping. He half pushed away from them, but there was no where to go. Panic raged in his eyes. He didn’t seem to know them.

Jason jumped up, taking Leo by the shoulders before he could fall to the floor. “It’s us. Leo, it’s us. You’re safe. It’s Piper and Jason.”

He seemed to calm, at least a little. Or maybe he was just too exhausted. He fell back into the blankets, his chest still heaving for air. “Hazel?” he managed to whisper hoarsely. “Frank?”

“Sleeping,” Jason said. “Should I go get them for you?” He was reluctant to leave, but he knew Frank and Hazel would kill him if they weren’t told.

But Leo’s eyelids already looked heavy with exhaustion. He shook his head. “Let… let ‘em sleep.” He spoke through gritted teeth.

Piper put a hand to his forehead, as if checking for a fever. “Are you in pain?”

Leo nodded. It was clear he could barely speak. Any color that had returned from the past few hours had been lost.

She frowned. “He’s freezing. Like ice. I’m going to get Will, okay? Just stay with him.”

Jason nodded but Piper was already rushing out the door. He turned back to Leo. The boy was rigid against the cushions, shivering from the cold. He waited for him to say more. To make a joke. To tell them he was glad to see them. He didn’t do any of that.

“Do you remember anything?” Jason asked.

Leo tried to nod, but his eyes squeezed shut as a wave of pain seemed to shoot through him. “I… Festus. Explosion… Me and… something else. A missile or… I don’t know. Then just… I don’t know. Pain, man. A lot of it. Sometimes I could hear you. Or see you. It was like watching TV. Just… far away. And I could barely think through the burning.”

Jason felt guilty for asking. He moved onto the bed, gathering Leo in his arms. He was relieved when his friend didn’t pull away. Piper was right. His skin was like ice. It felt wrong. Leo was never cold. Jason had watched him walk in the middle of a snowstorm with nothing but a t-shirt on.

“We found Festus,” Jason said. He figured Leo would want to know. “We have his head. Nothing else… nothing else was salvageable. I’m sorry man.”

He felt more than saw Leo nod against him. “Knew… risk…” He could barely get the words out before tensing in agony. It was clear Piper had woken him up too early. Whether she’d meant to use charm speak or not, Jason didn’t know. It was a relief when Leo’s eyelids finally slipped closed and he went limp.

**Hazel**

Frank and Hazel had not left Leo’s side since he’d woken up. She was furious with Piper for not fetching them straight away. By the time they’d been told, Leo had already fallen back asleep and Will was checking him over.

“I’m sorry,” Piper said tearfully, “I didn’t mean to wake him like that.”

Jason told them how much pain he’d been in, and a small part of Hazel was relieved that she hadn’t seen it. But most of her felt guilty for not being there. How could they not have been there?

It had been over twenty-four hours since he’d woken. She and Frank hadn’t left. Percy had brought them something to eat, which she’d barely tasted. Will had come in a few times to check Leo over, but nothing had changed. He was too cold. The color still had not returned to his cheeks.

Frank brushed the curls from Leo’s face. “He’ll be fine,” he said. It was something he’d been repeating since they’d found him.

Hazel was less and less sure. “What if he isn’t?”

Frank looked surprised. “Then… then we’ll fix him.”

“What if we can’t?”

“We _will_. There’s always a way. I mean, if the gods can make a _death cure,_ they can help Leo. He sacrificed himself for them. The least they can do is _help him_.”

Hazel pulled at a knot in her hair. “What if they won’t?”

“Then we’ll make them,” Frank said through gritted teeth.

“Can I watch?” a weak voice asked. They looked down to see Leo’s brown eyes staring at them.

“Leo!” they both gasped at the same time. He smiled. She knew he was trying to look casual, but she could see the tightness of pain in his face.

Both her and Frank put their arms around him as he struggled to sit upwards. A small whimper escaped Leo’s mouth, but he managed to heave himself into their arms.

When he caught his breath again, he smiled at them woozily. “Hey, babes.”

She almost laughed. “Gods, Leo…” Then she flicked him (gently) on the arm. He gasped at her dramatically, as best as he could manage while in obvious pain. “That’s for dying on us. And this is for coming back.”

She kissed him. She kissed him and a piece of her soul settled back into place. She kissed him and warmth exploded in her chest. She kissed him and the world righted itself. She kissed him and he kissed her back. _Thank you. Thank you for bringing him back._ She didn’t know which deity was responsible, but whoever it was… she owed them everything.

His lips were as cold as ice, but he was solid and alive. She held his face in her hands and he laughed. When they had to pull away, she pressed her forehead against his. Their noses brushed together. “Thank the gods,” she whispered.

Frank grumbled, “The gods had nothing to do with it.” There was venom in his words.

Leo turned and smiled weakly at their boyfriend. “Don’t. It’s okay. I’m alive.” It seemed those were the words Frank needed to hear. He nodded and there were tears in his eyes.

When Hazel watched them kiss something loosened in her chest. She didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry. She could tell Frank felt the same that she had. His whole body seemed to melt. His fingers strayed at Leo’s pulse.

He was alive. He was okay. They didn’t know who to thank or how it had happened, but it had happened. He was alive.

He was alive.

He was alive.

**Leo**

Leo had (finally) convinced Hazel and Frank to get some sleep. They hadn’t left his bedside in three days. It’d taken the combined efforts of Will, Annabeth, and Leo to convince them to sleep in a proper bed. They’d only agreed after Leo had reminded them that they wouldn’t be doing anyone any favors if they ran themselves into the ground. Finally, they’d left on doctor’s orders to get at least eight hours of sleep.

Leo missed them already.

Mostly because Percy had been sent to replace them.

He’d started off on the wrong foot immediately by entering with a small plate of food. Leo couldn’t help but grimace. He hadn’t had any solid food since… well, before he died. The idea of eating made his stomach flip uncomfortably.

What made matters worse was this was _Percy_ _Jackson_. They hadn’t talked much on the _Argo II_ to begin with. Leo barely knew him compared to the others. Jason and Piper were his best friends. Hazel and Frank were… well… his lovers? Partners? The point was, the only real conversation between him and Percy had been about Calypso. More specifically, Percy abandoning her. Things had seemed cool between them after that, but Leo had never been too sure how Percy saw him.

He felt particularly pathetic now, laying in a nest of blankets and shivering his ass off. No matter what, he could never seem to get warm. Being cold was a new experience for him. As a fire user, he’d never _not_ been warm. He had decided very quickly that he hated it. His muscles ached from shivering and he could think of nothing else but his icy skin.

He needn’t have worried about Percy though. Ten minutes in, all the awkwardness between them had evaporated.

“Okay,” Percy said, laughing, “what else have you missed? Let me think… Oh! You know that girl from the Aphrodite cabin? What’s her name? The one with the pretty braids?”

Leo clicked his fingers. “Oh, wait… Jessie? Jessica!”

“Yeah, she’s going out with… wait for it… Marie from the Demeter cabin!”

“What? The scary one?”

“That’s the one!”

“But what happened to her and Jake?”

“She turned him into a tree.”

“No!”

“Yep. Only for like half a day, but still.”

“He deserved it. He called Harley a twerp once.” Leo tried to laugh, but a flash of pain racked through his chest. He clenched his jaw against it, his grip tightening around the blankets.

Percy watched him for a moment, and Leo was sure he was going to say something about it. But he surprised him by instead saying, “So, did Hazel and Frank tell you about Calypso? She’s free now. For real, this time.”

Leo smiled warmly. “Yeah, they said you guys went to Mt. Olympus. Thank you, Percy. Really.”

Percy shrugged and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I mean, I should’ve made sure the first time. But it’s all good now. She’s traveling, I think.”

“She deserves it.”

Percy nodded. He was fiddling with his hands in his lap. “So, you guys really weren’t dating, huh?”

Leo felt his cheeks flush red, which was a weird sensation when there was no warmth in his cheeks. “I told you we weren’t. She never liked me. And I… I mean she was cool and everything but…”

“She wasn’t Hazel and Frank?” Percy guessed with a grin. “I mean I did guess something was going on eventually. But why didn’t you say anything?”

Leo shrugged. “Hazel wanted to but… Me and Frank… I don’t know. Frank liked it being a secret and I…” He rubbed at his arm, his eyes on the floor. They were nearing a dangerous territory that Leo did not really want to go into. Still, Percy pressed further.

“What? You what?”

Leo’s chest burned with embarrassment. This was really not something he wanted to be discussing with Percy Jackson, the most heroic demigod who had ever lived. “I don’t know… I just… thought maybe if they changed their minds, not everyone had to know about it.” The last sentence he uttered quietly, staring at his blankets.

“Changed their minds?” Percy repeated, incredulously. “About… dating you?”

Leo bit the inside of his cheek. “I don’t know… it’s stupid.”

“C’mon man, just between us. You can talk to me.” His words were surprisingly gentle.

“Well…” Leo said, slowly. It was hard to explain. He just didn’t feel like he matched up to Hazel and Frank. He was short and runty. He thought about meeting Calypso for the first time. She’d been so disappointed with him. He wasn’t heroic. He wasn’t a real demigod. He was just a mechanic. “I mean, I’m not strong like Frank or Hazel. I can’t fight like them, I’m not smart like them, I-”

“Woah, wait, wait, since when?” Percy snapped. Leo blinked, stunned into silence. “You’re not smart? You designed an entire ship! Do you even know how many times you got us out of trouble? I mean, even before Gaea there was that doctor god guy who helped because of you. And you got Apollo to talk to us. I mean, Leo even without all that… they love you. I’m serious. They missed you so much. They couldn’t even stay in Camp Half-Blood without you.” Percy kicked at Leo’s foot in emphasis and he tried not to be offended by it. “How could you think they didn’t want you? I mean have you seen the way they look at you?”

He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even think Percy had been paying that much attention to him. “I… Thanks… Percy.”

“Any time, man.” There was that famous Percy Jackson grin again.

“Can you not, you know, say anything…”

“Of course not. But you _do_ have to eat.” Percy gestured to the plate of untouched fruit Leo had refused earlier.

Leo pulled a face. “Do I have to?” His stomach clenched. He really didn’t want to eat. But Percy was staring at him with such a pleading face that he felt bad saying no.

“One strawberry? Doctor’s orders… Well, Will’s orders. But he’s scarier than a doctor because he can ask Nico to kick my ass.”

That made Leo smile once more. “Alright, if only to save that ass of yours.”

Percy grinned. “It’s an ass worth saving in my humble opinion.” He picked up the fork and speared a strawberry before offering it to Leo.

Leo took it and bit into the fruit gingerly. He chewed for maybe longer than was necessary but swallowed all the same without complaint. It felt rough going down his throat, but it wasn’t as bad as he’d thought.

“There we go. One more step forward,” Percy said.

Leo just tugged the blanket tighter over his shoulders

Leo had started to catch on about why Nico seemed so interested in his health. It wasn’t that they didn’t like each other, but he and Nico had never been particularly close. At first he’d thought that maybe he’d stuck around for so long because of Hazel. But then Leo started putting two and two together. One two was Nico, the other happened to be Will.

Every time Will stopped by for a checkup, Nico happened to be trailing behind. They bickered like an old married couple, sniping at each other and complaining. Honestly even Leo was starting to feel a bit self-conscious. Like he was on someone else’s date. But the thing was, he was pretty sure they weren’t. Dating, that was. No one had mentioned it, at least. He’d brought it up with Jason earlier, but the poor guy had just looked confused. To be fair though, this was the same person who hadn’t noticed that Leo, Hazel, and Frank were dating after months of being on the same ship as them so maybe Leo had just chosen poorly.

Currently Leo was curled up against Frank’s chest. Frank was like a space heater, and Leo intended to suck up as much warmth for himself as possible. Hazel was pressed against his side, their hands intertwined. He’d gotten used to physical affection around other people. Hazel and Frank were reluctant to let go of him at any point, so the rest of them were used to the three cuddling together at all times. It made a pleasant change to the sneaking around on the ship.

And it especially helped with the “ _Leo is freezing all the time”_ situation.

Leo had a thermometer between his teeth and Will’s stethoscope pressed against his chest. It was a little awkward, with Will being so close, so he tried to avoid eye contact. He ended up catching Nico staring at him. It wasn’t in a jealous way (thank the gods) but there was something painful in the boy’s eyes that Leo couldn’t really place.

Will pulled the thermometer out of his mouth. Whatever was written on it made him frown.

“That bad, huh?” Leo asked with a weak grin. Despite gaining strength over the days since he’d come back to life (what a sentence) his temperature remained depressingly low. He was freezing all the time, no matter how many blankets or sweatshirts they piled on.

Will shrugged. “It could just be because of the amount of power you used. You’ll probably feel warmer once your body is strong enough.”

Frank frowned. “Probably?” he echoed. Leo could feel the rumble of vibration through his chest. He snuggled closer, searching for warmth he knew he wasn’t going to find.

“I’m not sure, honestly guys. I’m sorry but I don’t think there’s ever been a case like this before… Have you been able to create fire yet?”

“Nah,” Leo said. “Been trying but…” He couldn’t even create a little smoke. It was strange that so long ago he would’ve welcomed the loss of his powers. Now he felt naked without it. Useless. He wondered if it really was possible he’d used it all up in the explosion.

“Anything else bothering you? Any more pain?”

“I feel really weak still. But I’m getting better.”

Will grinned at that. “Yeah, you are. You’re improving really well.”

He sounded so sure of himself, but Leo just shivered in response. Frank tightened his grip on him, and Hazel squeezed his hand. He was so lucky to have them. He dreaded the thought of having to go through all this by himself. Thinking of being with them again had been the only thing that’d kept him going.

When there had been nothing but agony and fire, when Leo couldn’t even remember his own name, he’d known that Hazel and Frank were waiting for him on the other side.

Will stood up. “Alright. I think we’re good for now. Besides, we have to get to capture the flag.”

Both Hazel and Frank groaned at the same time. Chiron had told them it was mandatory if they were going to stay. He knew some of what was going on, although he agreed that being on just a need-to-know bases was probably for the best. That way he could lie easily if any of the gods decided to ask him about a lost hero’s soul. Nico hadn’t heard a word from his father, thankfully. That didn’t mean much though. Hades might’ve just been giving them some time to say goodbye before whisking in to take Leo away. The idea made him feel a bit sick.

“I think I’ll stay with Leo for a bit.” Leo was shocked to find the speaker was Nico. “Chiron banned me from capture the flag anyway.”

“Why?” Hazel asked. She was untangling herself from Leo and his nest of blankets.

“I punched Jake in the face.”

No one asked why. Jake was an asshole. Even Hazel and Frank knew that. What Leo did not know, was why Nico had suddenly decided to keep him company…

Will seemed to think it was an excellent idea because he grinned from ear to ear. “Great. I’ll leave you in very capable hands them.” After one more wink at Nico, he walked out the door. Hazel and Frank both pecked Leo on the forehead before following him out, grumbling.

Nico, seemingly unsure what to do with himself, grabbed a chair.

“Ummm, Hi?” Leo offered.

Nico rolled his eyes. “We already said hi.”

“Right… I know… I just… can I help you with something?”

“I can leave if you want?”

“No! No,” he said quickly. “Just didn’t expect you to wana hang out with me.”

Nico stared at him. Then he said, “I felt you die.”

Leo shrugged. They’d been over this. “Right?”

“Then you didn’t.”

“Right.” Was he being punked?

“How?”

Leo gave a quick bark of laughter. “I don’t know.” Was Nico seriously asking him how to escape death?

“But what do you remember?” His eyes were dark and serious. They stared straight into Leo’s soul. His next shiver had nothing to do with the cold.

“I… not much? It hurt a lot… I know that. I remember thinking I had it under control.” Leo snorted. “Then I saw the missile coming at me and… _poof._ ”

Nico didn’t look satisfied. “And after that? How’d you escape the underworld?”

“Nico, I really don’t know. I just… I kept thinking about Hazel and Frank. They were my last thought. I couldn’t leave them. I just kept thinking I can’t leave without seeing them again.”

“What? That’s it? The secret to escaping death it…True love?” Nico wrinkled his nose. Even to Leo, it sounded ridiculous.

“Yeah? I guess? -ish? I don’t know. I mean, when has half this stuff made sense? I’ve literally seen Hazel’s memories from the 30s. You’re what? Eighty years old?”

“Eighty-two,” Nico muttered.

“Exactly. Nothing about this makes sense. I’ve learned to not question it. So, you and Will, huh?” Okay so maybe Leo was a little cruel at taking him off guard.

Nico almost toppled out of his chair. “What?”

“You like him.”

His face flushed red. “I… It’s not any of your business.”

“C’mon di Angelo, I didn’t even know you liked boys.”

That was clearly the wrong thing to say. Nico’s face went hard. His gaze turned to stone. There was no sign of amusement that had been there before. After a moment of silence that stretched for too long to be comfortable, Nico said, “I didn’t know you and Frank did either.” It was hard to miss the bitterness in his voice.

Leo understood. He wished he didn’t, but he did. To Nico, it looked like he and Frank had purposely been keeping secrets. They’d had each other, while Nico had thought he’d been alone. He knew how that felt.

“Nico, I’m sorry, man. If I’d know you liked boys too, I would’ve said something. I know how hard that can be.”

Nico just stared at his feet.

Leo played with the blanket on his lap. “So… you like Will?” He tried to keep his voice gentle this time. There was no teasing. He was genuinely interested.

Nico’s eyes met his and there was the smallest of smiles on his lips. He shrugged. “Maybe.”

“He’s into you!”

“No, he’s not.”

“What do you mean he’s not?” Leo rolled his eyes. “Obviously he is.”

Nico crossed his arms. “Me? Have you seen _me_?”

Leo frowned. Okay, maybe this was going to be a serious conversation. “The super powerful demigod whose saved the world half a dozen times? Um, yeah dude. I’ve seen you.”

“ _No,_ I mean… You wouldn’t understand. I’m a son of Hades.”

“Nico. I mean this from the bottom of my heart. You’re an idiot.” Nico gaped, offended. Leo waved his hand. “You’re an idiot because that boy is head over heels for you. Talk. To. Him. Trust me, you guys deserve each other.”

Nico didn’t speak for so long, Leo was afraid he’d broken him. Then he said, “I’m sorry about what happened to you, Leo.”

This time it was Leo who was taken off guard. “What do you mean?”

“I knew there was a lost soul at camp. I could’ve helped you earlier, but I ignored it. And you were suffering…” It was obvious Nico had felt guilty about this for a long time. He couldn’t meet Leo’s eyes.

“It’s not your fault, dude. And even if it was, I forgive you.”

Leo was freezing. Will had been wrong. He hadn’t warmed up at all. If anything, he felt colder than before. Shivers wracked his body so violently and painfully, the bed shook underneath him.

Hazel was curled up beside him on one side. One hand stroked Leo’s cheek gently. The other played with his hair. His face was pressed against her neck. She smelled of warmth and earth.

Frank held them both from the other side. His arms wrapped around them, tugging them in as close as possible. Leo could feel the gentle rhythm of his breathing against his back. It calmed him.

He was never going to warm up. He’d forgotten what it was like to be warm. Maybe he had never been warm. Maybe there had always just been _cold_. Freezing icy cold.

“Talk to us,” Frank’s words breathed against Leo’s head.

“About what?” Leo asked. Or tried to. Between the chattering of his teeth it sounded more like _“Ab-b-b-out wh-a-at?”_

Hazel whispered the word, “Anything,” against his cheek.

But Leo was too cold and too tired to talk. “T-tell me about our fu-future,” he whispered. “When th-this is all ov-ver.” He needed to know there was something beyond this. For him. For them. For their relationship.

There was a pause. Even without lifting his head, he could picture Hazel and Frank staring at each other. Then Frank spoke, his warm voice was a gentle thrum against Leo’s back.

“We’ll get you a shop. The best shop. You can tinker all day. Make a million ships. All you want.”

Leo groaned despite himself. “No more sh-ships.”

They both laughed. “Okay,” Hazel agreed. “No more ships. You can make me horses instead.”

He liked the sound of that. After all, he’d made a dragon. What if he could make a metal horse to rival Arion? Already the gears were turning in his head.

“I’ll keep a whole stable of them,” Hazel went on. “Frank can be my stable hand.”

“Hey!” Frank mumbled. “I’m going to be a househusband, thank you very much.”

“Oh, we have a house in this future?” Hazel laughed.

Frank nodded against the top of Leo’s head. “We’ll get a house on the edge of New Rome. So it’s quiet, but we’re protected. We’ll get one with a ladder to the roof, so we can go stargazing. And a big bed that’ll fit all of us.” The last was a jab at their current sleeping situation. Even cuddled all together, both Hazel and Frank were in danger of toppling off the bed.

Leo tired to picture their future house in his head. Forget that he wasn’t welcome back in New Rome. That didn’t matter. In their future, nothing else mattered except each other.

“A big garden,” Hazel added. “We’ll grow our own food. I’ve always wanted to do that, you know? Maybe tomatoes. Apples… Peaches…”

Leo felt himself drifting despite the cold. He sunk into sleep slowly, listening to his lovers talk about their future.

In his dream Leo found himself in a workshop. It stretched out into all direction, far past the horizon. He saw every tool he could think of, every metal he could ever want. There were thousands of half finished projects laying about; shields, swords, trinkets, music boxes, armor.

He knew who to expect even before his father called his name.

“Leo?”

Leo turned to find Hephaestus standing by a workstation. His father did not seem surprised to see him. When he didn’t respond, he took a step forward. Leo took a step back.

“I brought you here,” said the god, “to tell you how proud I am of you.”

Hephaestus looked at him, expectantly. Still, Leo said nothing. His father was uncomfortable with human interaction on a good day. Now? He shuffled his feet and played with the tiny screwdriver in his hands. “Hades and I are doing out best to hide you from the other gods. As long as you stay inside the bounds of the camp, you should be safe. There are certain things the gods are willing to overlook. If you are careful-”

“If I’m careful?” Leo repeated. Even in his dream, he could feel a trickle of cold down his spine. He shivered. “I died for the gods and that’s the best you can do? Hide me away before Zeus takes my soul?”

Whatever Hephaestus had been expecting, this was not it. He slammed the tiny screwdriver down on the worktable top and it shattered. “You should be grateful that Lord Hades has not demanded you return to his realm.”

“ _I_ should be grateful? I saved the gods. _We_ saved the gods. You never even spoke to the others. You never thanked them. And my mother? Or did you forget her? She died for you. For… for this… this shit. This stupid _god shit_. Gaea killed her. Not me. Gaea. And that’s all you got for me? You _might_ not kill me if I’m _lucky_?”

Tears stung Leo’s eyes. He tried to move forward, but as he did the cold sliver in his back stabbed deeper into his spine. His knees buckled and he would’ve hit the floor if his father hadn’t caught him. Leo struggled, trying to pull away but Hephaestus was too strong.

In the end he went limp, shivering.

“I’m sorry, my son.” His voice sounded genuine. Soft. Sad. “I’m sorry I cannot offer you more. Truly I am. I loved your mother once and I am sorry about what happened to her. She deserved so much better. As did you. I was now allowed to help you after her death, but I am done listening to Zeus’ rules.”

Leo stared up at his father, not sure what he was trying to say.

In Hephaestus’ hand, a small sphere of pure white fire appeared, flickering gently in the center of his palm.

“Do you know what this is?”

Leo shook his head.

“This is a small portion of my godly soulfire. I can replace what you sacrificed. I can restore your power.” Hephaestus paused. “It is the least I can do,” he admitted.

Without waiting for a response, the god pressed the ball of fire into Leo’s chest.

At first, he felt nothing. Then the cold lifted. He warmed, slowly at first, then faster. The fire burned his chest, growing hotter and hotter. It was so intense Leo opened his mouth to scream.

Then, he bolted up in his bed. The workshop was gone. He was in the Big House. He clawed at his chest. There was no mark, no burn. The pain was gone.

“Leo?” Hazel asked, voice filled with sleep. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Leo breathed. “Yeah…” He was more than okay.

He held his hand out in front of his face and lit a flame on his thumb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is okay! I finished edits at 1am.  
> This took so long to write but I am so pleased with it.   
> One more chapter to go, just to wrap everything up. I also think Hazel and Frank need one last heart to heart with Leo.  
> I hope you all are liking this story. I've been thinking about writing it for so long.
> 
> PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! :)


	3. It's not pain, it's applause

**Leo**

Leo wasn’t sulking. Okay, sure, it’d started off as sulking. That, he’d admit. And yes, spending all his time in Bunker 9 only half healed probably wasn’t his brightest idea. In fact, it ranked very very low on the list of patented Leo Valdez bright ideas.

However, he didn’t think he was being totally unreasonable.

Frank had received a call from Reyna two weeks after he’d returned from the dead (was he the new Greek Jesus?) She wanted them back. He and Hazel had responsibilities at Camp Jupiter. They couldn’t just take a holiday in New York with no warning and expect that to fly, no matter how much world saving they’d done.

She didn’t know about Leo, of course. That was a deep dark secret. No one could know he was alive or else Zeus would come and zap him with lightning. Actually, he’d probably send one of his lackeys to do his dirty work. Maybe Dionysus would come and turn him into grapes. What would life as grapes be like, he wondered. Would he turn into a bunch of them, or just one single grape?

The point was, Frank and Hazel were being forced back to Camp Jupiter. Leo was stuck in Camp Half-Blood, hiding from the gods. They were going to be separated. Again. They were losing each other. Again.

So, Leo had done the mature thing and decided to hide in Bunker 9 for a week. At first, he’d just planned to tinker, to get his mind off things. But then… then he’d started thinking. The gears in his head were always working, always trying to solve problems.

He’d barely stopped to rest since. Sometimes Will stopped by with healthy meals and a plea for him to rest (which was ignored.) They did his checkups at the bunker, but Leo didn’t see the point. He felt weak and shaky, but there was nothing wrong with him that time and sleep wouldn’t fix. Will agreed with that at least. The problem was, Leo _couldn’t_ stop. If he stopped, he might think, and if he had even a second to think, he’d realize what a terrible, awful idea this was.

Sometimes it was Frank and Hazel who brought him meals. They practically begged him to stop, but he couldn’t. He had to work. He couldn’t stop moving. They only let him be when he agreed to return to them every night. Sleeping in the bunker wasn’t allowed. He didn’t mind promising them that. At night he’d lay between the two of them, watching their chests rise and fall. They were alive. He was alive. His time with them was precious. 

Frank had promised they’d visit Camp Half-Blood soon. Hazel had promised to send Iris messages and scrolls. They’d both said that this wasn’t the end. They weren’t losing each other (again.) It was just how it had to be. Him on one side of the country and them on the other. The issue was, 3,000 miles sounded impossible compared to the next cabin over on a tiny boat. They all knew visiting would be hard, given their positions at the camp. And, even if Leo could leave Camp Half-Blood, the Romans wouldn’t welcome him. He’d destroyed their home, after all. (He’d saved the world too, but no one seemed to count that among his accomplishments over there.)

Leo thought about a life away from Hazel and Frank, waiting for them to age out of Camp Jupiter so that they could leave. And then what? He wasn’t welcome in New Rome. Could he stay in Camp Half-Blood for the rest of his life under the thumb of the gods? Praying that Hades and Hephaestus could keep him hidden forever? Or just until Hades decided to turn on his father? To use him as a pawn in their godly games?

The more Leo thought about what awaited him for the rest of his life, the more depressed he became. He’d sacrificed everything to the gods. His mother, his home, his life, and now even his death.

So, he did what he always did. He built.

**Frank**

Frank sat on his bed, staring at his pack. It was mostly empty. He’d barely brought anything with him. He was only missing a sweatshirt, which Leo had stolen from him. He’d quickly decided that asking for it back would make him a monster equal to the worst of the giants and titans combined. Leo just looked so cute, curled up with his knees tucked into the fabric.

His heart sank at the memory. They hadn’t talked to Leo properly in days. They’d tried, but Leo had mostly ignored them. Or, not quite ignored them. He was just… preoccupied. Frank hadn’t seen him this obsessed about a project… ever. Piper had said he’d been this bad over the _Argo II_ and Frank couldn’t imagine how he’d kept it up for so many months.

No wonder Jason had thought this behavior was normal. Only, Frank knew it wasn’t normal. And he didn’t know how to snap Leo out of it. Even worse, how could they leave him like that? He didn’t trust the others to look after Leo. Not at all.

“You ready to go?” Hazel asked from the doorway. Her shoulders slumped and her gold eyes shone with tears.

“No,” Frank said, but got up anyway.

“The others are waiting.”

They walked out together, to meet the small crowd that had formed outside the cabin. There was Piper and Jason, Percy and Annabeth, and even Nico and Will. One person was missing though.

“Leo?” Hazel asked.

Percy shook his head. “I’m sorry… he must still be in the bunker.

Frank nodded. He wasn’t as surprised as he wished he could be. Leo didn’t like goodbyes.

The two of them took turns hugging their friends. Piper and Jason made plans to visit New Rome in the fall. Jason already had a dozen sketches for new temples. Hazel made Nico promise to visit her before Christmas. Percy promised Frank the same.

It hurt a little, to know everyone was free to visit except the person they needed.

Finally, it was just Hazel and Frank left on the hillside. It was almost sunset, and Hazel was preparing to shadow-travel. They held hands, and Frank waited for the feeling of plunging into ice water to return.

It didn’t.

He opened his eyes. Hazel was staring at him.

“You don’t want to leave without him?” he guessed before she could speak. She nodded. “It feels weird leaving him, but…” But wouldn’t saying goodbye make things even harder?

“It’s like I’m leaving half of myself here with him,” she said. He knew exactly how she felt. His heart ached.

“It’s not like we can stay.”

“Why?”

“Hazel… we’re…” What? What were they? Roman heroes? A _Praetor_? Legion leaders? Those excuses sounded weaker and weaker every time he heard them. Camp Jupiter meant the world to him. It was his home. But it also felt so very far away. So trivial, compared to the home they had created between the three of them. He thought of their house, dreamed up between warm sheets. Mechanical horses, Hazel’s stable, Leo’s workshop… It sounded fantastical and ludicrous and perfect.

Hazel was staring at him with her golden eyes. He couldn’t look away.

“Let’s go find him,” she whispered. He nodded.

He didn’t know what would happen after… but he knew they couldn’t leave without seeing Leo one more time.

**Hazel**

They found Leo outside Bunker 9. He wore a pack on his back and his toolbelt. Frank’s sweatshirt was wrapped around his waist. At his feet stood a bronze suitcase.

“Leo?” Hazel’s voice felt lost in her throat.

He looked up. The surprise in his face was a little hurtful. He’d expected them to leave without saying goodbye. They’d almost done so. That hurt worse.

“What’re you doing?” she asked.

He blinked at her slowly. There were tears in his eyes. They’d spent so much time crying together… but she didn’t think he’d ever cried _because_ of them.

“I…” He glanced down at the suitcase. Looking at it again, she recognized the bronze plating. _Festus_.

Frank’s voice came out a hoarse growl. “How?” He’d worked it out as well.

“Jason said his head was recovered. I found the old blueprints… it was easy.”

Of course Leo would describe creating an entire flying dragon in one week as easy. Hazel almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Her boyfriend was about to fly away on a metal dragon.

“You never said anything,” she said, trying to keep her tone from sounding accusatory and failing miserably. He’d been ready to leave the whole time. What had been the plan? When had he been planning on telling them? When they tried to IM him and found him flying in the air? Or when they found his ashes when Zeus struck him out of the sky?

Leo wiped a tear from his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“Where were you even planning on going?” Frank asked.

“Alaska.”

Whatever Hazel had been expecting, it wasn’t that. She choked on air. “Alaska?”

He shrugged. “You said it was a land away from the gods. I… I want that. I can’t stay here for the rest of my life. I gave them everything, Hazel. Frank… I… Gaea killed my mom.” He tugged at his hair. There was a hysterical note to his voice. “We almost died so many times. Guys, I _died_. The gods don’t even care. They trapped Calypso for thousands of years, they’re not doing that to me. I’m not going to be trapped here.”

Hazel had been waiting for this, she realized. A breakdown. Leo had been too calm about everything. He deserved to break and cry and scream at the gods. It’s just… their boyfriend really did have the _worst_ timing.

Frank moved first. He did when he did best. He scooped Leo into a tight hug. Leo didn’t seem to know what’d happened at first. Then he relaxed, wrapping his arms around Frank’s neck. Hazel closed the distance. She rubbed Leo’s back as he cried, pressing her lips to his forehead.

She and Frank made eye contact. A decision was made.

They couldn’t leave him. Not now, not ever.

“So, Alaska?” Frank repeated, when the three pulled away. They still stayed close though, arms wrapped around each other. Leo’s face was blotchy from crying, but his eyes looked calmer. More collected.

“If the gods can’t find me, they can’t kill me right?” This was matched with a hopeful grin that Hazel did _not_ have confidence in. “I asked a Hecate kid to mist it for me. I should be hidden until I get there.”

Hazel glanced at Frank again. A silent exchange passed between them.

_Are you sure?_

_Definitely._

“Okay,” she said. “We’re coming too.”

Leo’s brows shot up comically high. “But Camp Jupiter-”

“Is not our home,” Frank finished. “You are. It’s always going to be the three of us. Not even the gods can keep us apart.” He pressed his lips to Leo’s forehead, which effectively shut him up.

Hazel giggled. Now that they’d said it, she felt almost giddy with relief. They weren’t leaving Leo behind. She was already pulling out her notebook. “Dear Reyna,” she said out loud. “Sorry but we can’t come back. Going to Alaska. Nico will fill in as _Praetor_ until you find a suitable replacement.”

She glanced up at the boys. They were laughing at her.

“Nico?” Frank repeated. “Better get to Alaska quick then, before he sends some skeletons out in revenge, Hazel.”

She shrugged. Her brother would be a good choice, even if the other two didn’t see it. He was already close with Reyna and both the camps looked up to him.

“With love, Hazel, Frank, and Leo,” she finished. Then she ripped the page out of the notebook. “Take this to Reyna at Camp Jupiter, please.”

Luckily, the nymphs were listening today. The wind picked up, and the paper was snatched from her hands. Just like that, there was not turning back. She waited for the anxiety, the regret. She felt nothing but pure relief and excitement.

Leo stared at her empty hands. “I didn’t think you’d actually… I mean… Hazel, I know how you feel about Alaska.”

She stared at him for a moment because she realized. She’d thought he’d been talking about her, Frank, and Percy’s quest there… but he was talking about her death. How could she have forgotten? It felt so long ago. Another lifetime, literally. So many things had happened since.

“I’ll be okay,” she said. And she was telling the truth. “You’ll be there with me. Both of you.”

Frank threw his arm around Leo, pulling him close with a wide smile. “Shall we go?”

Leo nudged the suitcase with his foot and Festus unfolded like a blossoming bronze flower. His wings spread out, burning orange in the sunset.

Leo jumped on first, cooing at his dragon to calm him down before the others could follow. Frank helped Hazel up first. She settled behind Leo, kissing his neck. Even from behind, she could see the smile on his cheeks.

She pulled Frank up behind them and he wrapped his arms around her. There was a lightness between then she had never felt before. They were free. She hadn’t been aware of the weight on her shoulders until that second. She had always been burdened with responsibility, even from before their quest. She’d been terrified of her powers, then she’d been terrified of giants and monsters. There had been the war to worry about, and then Camp Jupiter, and then Leo.

Now? Now it was just them. They were leaving the gods behind.

“Ready?” Leo called.

“Ready,” Frank and Hazel said together.

Festus took off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's finished! I had the ending to this in my head for so, so long. Originally before I started writing, I had Leo on a motorcycle and then Hazel was going to call Arion but then I remembered that Festus existed lol.  
> I struggled a lot with the beginning so sorry it's not great. Originally I was going to have the conversation with Reyna, and then a convo about them leaving, etc, etc... but it all got so repetitive I ended up shortening it a lot. So hope this was okay.
> 
> I think I'm done with this series now! Though I might be tempted to write Hazel/Frank/Leo in the future. I got most of my ideas out. Have a few about them during the Apollo Trials but I also like how this ended.
> 
> Anyways PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS!! Love comments! lol
> 
> And I hope you enjoyed.

**Author's Note:**

> I finished the Heroes of Olympus and HAD TO FIX THAT ENDING! 
> 
> Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.


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